Taylor's title might suggest an obscure corner of naval history in the Napoleonic wars. But the British capture of two French-controlled islands, Ile de France (present-day Mauritius) and Bourbon, was vital to the wider struggle, since as bases for predatory enemy frigates they seemed capable of severing Britain's link with India; this not only threatened its "survival as a great power" but also supplies of the gunpowder the East India Company transported to Wellington and other generals. Expertly constructed and teeming with extraordinary characters, Storm & Conquest covers a period that saw mutinies on land and sea, the loss of seven company ships in six months, and a botched first invasion before the islands were finally taken. As in the stories of Frederick Marryat and Patrick O'Brian, there are sea battles, hurricanes and rows between choleric captains; but Taylor rewardingly takes in the balls, scandals, courtships and feuds of Madras, so that his enthralling book also recalls the novels of Austen and Thackeray.